I'll Be Here To Catch You
by JimberlyShipper
Summary: This is my first ever SVU story! It's E/O all the way! Hope you like it! R&R, please.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: This is my first ever LAO: SVU story. It's E/O all the way. I do not own the characters of Law and Order or anything else that is known to be someone else's. R&R, please. I just want to know what everyone thinks. That way I can tell if I'm any good at writing SVU stories. Enjoy, ya'll! PS. This is post Undercover. _

I'll Be Here To Catch You

By Julia

It was a warm NYC night, and for the first time all week, Olivia Benson was off work. She wasn't sure what to do with herself. It was warm for the first time all spring. She wanted to see her partner, Elliot Stabler, but he was finishing up some work on a case that they had just solved. They were both detectives with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, better known as SVU. Her wanting to see Elliot was nothing new. She always wanted to see El. Who wouldn't? He was gorgeous, with a great body to match. He and Kathy had just called it quits, too, which meant it was too soon to make a move. She closed her eyes as she pictured El's smiling face.

She was jerked out of her torturing herself when the phone rang. Her heart pounded at the possibility that it might be Elliot. It wasn't. It was Casey Novak. ''Hey, Case. What's up?''

Casey replied, ''I just wanted to let you know that Harris got life, so you won't have to worry about him ever again.'' Casey was the DA, and she had managed to put Harris, a man who had nearly raped Olivia, away.

It had been three weeks, and it still bothered her when she thought about it. ''Thanks, Casey. I appreciate that.''

Casey leaned back in her desk chair. ''So, you're off today. You're not going to see Stabler. Poor Liv.'' She teased. Casey was the only one who knew about Olivia's feelings for her partner.

''No, and I hate it. Casey, I see him the majority of every day, and it's never enough. I want him to be with me every day, all day. It's completely pathetic, I know.'' Olivia groaned.

Meanwhile, at the station, Elliot Stabler was going through some paperwork. He looked at Olivia's empty desk. He missed her. He ached to be holding her right now...no. He stopped himself. He wasn't going to do that to himself. Olivia was never going to feel that way about him, no matter how much he wanted her to.

Fin Tutuola, one of the other detectives, came back from getting some coffee. ''Hey, El. How's the paperwork coming?''

Elliot rolled his eyes. ''Slowly. But I'm almost done.'' He caught himself looking at Liv's desk again.

Fin caught him, too. ''Not seeing Olivia tonight, I take it?'' He sat down at his desk and took out some of his own paperwork.

Elliot shook his head. ''No, she was off today. It's been pretty lonely without her today.'' He got up and got himself another cup of coffee. He suddenly needed a jolt of caffeine.

Fin smiled. He knew that Elliot loved Olivia. He could tell without El having to tell him. He could also tell that El ached to talk about it. He had almost brought it up to Fin several times. ''Well, you could always go and see her after you're off. Or go and get coffee with her.''

Elliot sat back down, trying not to look like he thought that was a good idea, because he did. ''Yeah, I guess. I could do that.'' He said noncommitally.

Munch, Fin's partner, joined them, carrying his own cup of coffee. ''Are we mooning over the missing Benson?'' He asked, sitting down at his desk.

Elliot jerked his head up so fast Fin thought he was going to get whiplash. ''What are you talking about, John?'' He asked.

Munch sat down at his desk. ''You've been looking at Olivia's empty desk all day. You have a thing for her, don't you?'' Munch had thought so as long as Fin had. They talked about it a lot. Well, Munch talked, Fin listened. Sometimes, Fin opted to work with the other dectective, Chester Lake, just to get away from Munch's jabbering. Not that he didn't care about John, he did. John just liked to talk a lot.

Elliot knew there was no point in denying it. He'd been acting like a lovesick fifteen-year-old all day. ''Yeah, I do. For years now, actually. I just miss her when she's not here.'' He couldn't believe that he had finally said it out loud.

Fin said, ''Do you want to ask her out? I bet she'd go. I'd recommend taking it slow, she's had a lot of bad relationships. But I'd guarantee that she'd go with you.''

Elliot tried to keep his heart from bursting out of his chest. ''I don't know. Just don't tell her. I want to myself, my own way.'' He knew that he was going to have to work up the nerve first.

Fin laughed. ''You don't know how long the rest of us have known about this. You guys have been making puppy dog faces at each other for years. Lake even noticed it after he had only been here a few days.''

Elliot groaned. ''Great. That's the last thing I needed to know. Do you think Liv knows?''

Fin shook his head. ''No, she's been too busy hiding the fact that she loves you to notice.'' He really hoped that El made a move soon. The sooner that they got together, the happier Liv would be.

Munch agreed. ''Yeah, Liv's been in love with you since she saw you, practically.'' He personally thought that they were dumb for not noticing. They had been partners for nearly a decade now.

Elliot ended the conversation as he headed into Cap. Cragen's office to give him the paperwork. ''Hey, Cap. I think I'm going to go home now, unless you need something else.''

Cragen smiled. He knew that Elliot just wanted to go see Olivia. ''Sure, El, we'll call you if we need you.'' He too, had been waiting for Olivia and Elliot to realize their feelings for each other.

Elliot smiled like an idiot as he left. He was going to go see Olivia. He wanted to just be with her. To smell her shampoo, to look into her beautiful eyes. He wanted to run his hands through her lovely, soft brown hair...no, that wouldn't be possible. Olivia would never love him that way, no matter what Fin said. Olivia did care about him, but only like a partner, and best friend. He wished they could be more. Was it too late?

Olivia was sitting on the couch in her apartment, dressed in her sweats, eating a tuna fish sandwhich. She was surprised when there was a knock on the door. She went to get it, and was shocked when Elliot was standing there. For a brief moment, she was upset she was in her sweats, but he had seen her at worse states than this. ''Hey, El, what's going on?'' She asked.

Elliot stared into her beautiful eyes as she stepped back to let him in. She still hadn't told him what had happened with Harris. It looked like it was still bothering her. She looked a little weary. But for the moment, she seemed alright, and he didn't want to press her. ''I just wanted to see you.''

Olivia asked, ''You want something to drink? I've got water, coffee, tea. The usual.'' This was highly unusual, Elliot coming over just to hang. Even now that he and Kathy had split.

Elliot shook his head. He had all he wanted. To see Liv, to talk to her. ''What have you been doing all day? Enjoying your day off?'' He sat down on the chair next to the couch, trying not to look nervous. Liv would pick up on it.

Olivia shrugged. ''Guess so. I talked to Casey on the phone for like, an hour, which I have never done, so it was nice to have some girl talk, and then I took a long hot bath. Which was amazing. My joints felt so much better.'' She sat back down, so she could finish her sandwhich.

Elliot tried not to imagine Olivia in the tub, 'cause he really wanted to. ''Well, if you want, we can just hang out for awhile. We could get a pizza, watch some movies.'' They had never done that before, but he was hoping that if they spent as much time together as possible, then maybe he'd get up the nerve to kiss her.

Olivia tried not to blush. That sounded like heaven to her. ''Well, OK, sure. You're not seeing any of the kids tonight?'' She asked. Elliot had five kids with Kathy.

Elliot shook his head. ''No, not till the weekend. I can go rent a couple of movies, if you want.'' He said, smiling at her.

Olivia said, ''I'm not a total hermit, El, I do have some DVDs.'' She took her plate into the kitchen, and Elliot watched her, drinking her in. She really was in great shape.

Elliot took a look through the few that she had, and they agreed on _Die Hard_ and _When Harry Met Sally._

Olivia called for the pizza and then sat back down on the couch, hoping El wouldn't notice that she had sat a little closer to him than before.

Elliot took in a breath, and when he did, he took in her scent. She smelled like vanilla. It was intoxicating. One of the best smells in the world. It was starting to remind him of home. He again, felt like a teenager, as he fought with the desire to put his arm around her. They both sat nervously on the couch. They were both itching to make a move, but they were both scared of being rejected.

Elliot didn't want to do the fake yawn, so he leaned back into the couch a bit more, and then ever so casually put his arm on the back of the couch. If Olivia leaned back, she'd be in his arms.

Olivia tried to concentrate on Bruce Willis and the terrorists as the temptation to sink back on the couch into Elliot's strong arms intensified. She was still sitting on the edge of the couch. She ran her hands through her hair nervously.

''Liv, you OK? You look so tense.'' Elliot said, breaking her concentration.

Olivia tried not to tense up as he rubbed her back softly, telling her to relax. She closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his touch. Then, her mind flashed back to the last man that had touched her, and she cried out.

Elliot knew she had to have had a Harris flashback. He didn't want to press it. He just pulled her back gently, and carefully slipped an arm around her shoulder. She didn't pull away, which was good. She actually leaned her head against his shoulder. That was a sign that he should go for a kiss.

He carefully lifted her face to his amd pressed his lips to hers. It was soft at first, and then they really got into it. Elliot slowly parted her lips with his tongue, which caused a moan from Olivia.

Olivia took the next move by pushing El back on the couch and climbing on top of him. She ran her hands up El's chest as he ran his hands through her hair.

They were both startled by the knock on the door. Olivia broke the kiss and said breathlessly, ''It's the pizza. I'll go get it.'' She climbed off Elliot reluctantly and went to get her wallet.

Elliot, also a little breathless, sat up and went to the kitchen to get some paper plates. Then, he hunted around for some beer or wine or something. That was one of the most amazing makeout sessions he'd ever had. He hoped it was as good for Olivia.

Olivia brought the pizza box into the kitchen, finally having caught her breath. ''Oh my God. Why haven't we been doing that all along?'' She asked, straightening her shirt.

Elliot laughed. ''I don't know, but I want to do a lot more of it.''

Olivia nodded. ''Yeah, I do too.'' She put the pizza down and kissed Elliot again. She pulled him closer and slipped her hands onto his tight little behind.

Elliot pulled back and said, ''Do you want to eat the pizza or see where this is going?''

Olivia thought for a second, and then said, ''Forget the pizza. It'll wait. I'm not waiting any longer for you.'' She quickly turned the oven on, low, put the pizza in, and yanked Elliot down the hall to her bedroom.

She sat him down on the bed and crawled into his lap and resumed kissing him. He pulled her shirt off and began unhooking her bra. Elliot scooted back on the bed and pulled Liv on top of him. Then they really got down to business.

An hour later, they were both lying on the bed, breathing hard. Olivia planted a light kiss on El's cheek and said, ''OK, that just burned about 6,000 calories.''

Elliot laughed. He turned to look at her. ''Liv, I want to make it clear that that wasn't just sex for me. I love you and I want to be with you.'' He brushed her hair back from her face lovingly.

Olivia took one of his hands in hers. ''I love you, too, and I want to be with you. So we're agreed.'' They kissed again and headed back into the kitchen to eat the pizza.

Elliot turned off the television and DVD player as Olivia turned off the oven and pulled out the pizza. She got the paper plates. Elliot asked, ''Do you want some beer or something? Wine's a little fancy for the pizza.''

Olivia was staring at the pizza box. A few tears had glittered her eyes. She turned to look at Elliot. ''El, is this really happening? Are you really my boyfriend now? 'Cause you don't know how long I've wanted you.''

Elliot said, ''Hey, hey. You don't have to question this, Liv. It's really happening. I'm really your boyfriend. I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours for life.''

Olivia let him wrap his arms around her and they stayed that way for awhile. By the time they got around to eating the pizza, it was cold. But neither of them cared.

After they finished eating, Olivia put the pizza box in the fridge and threw away the plates. ''El, please tell me you're staying, 'cause I don't think I'll sleep unless you do.''

Elliot had moved out of Kathy's and had been staying at the station basically. They had showers and beds, and no one really noticed how long he was there. Well, Cap did, but he didn't say anything. He knew that Elliot hadn't found a place in his price range yet. ''I had no intention of going anywhere else.'' He told her.

Olivia found something for Elliot to sleep in, and they climbed into bed. As she snuggled up against him, for the first time in her life, Olivia thought she could have something permanent.

She fell asleep pretty quickly. She had her hand resting on El's chest and her head on his shoulder. It felt so wonderful, she never wanted to move again.

Olivia began to dream. She was back at Sealview, trapped in the basement with Harris. He was attacking her. She awoke with a scream, and sat bolt upright in bed.

Elliot woke, and sat up, pulling her close to him, telling her it was alright. ''Ssh, baby, it's alright. I'm right here. What did you dream about? Talk to me.''

Olivia sobbed against El's chest. She loved him, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to tell him what happened. She knew that Elliot felt guilty for not trying to stop her from going undercover. She took a deep breath and said, ''I dreamed about Sealview.''

Elliot wiped the tears off her face. ''What happened at Sealview? If you want me to help you, Liv, you've got to tell me what happened. It's OK. I love you.''

Olivia took El's hands in her own and took another deep breath. ''I found out Harris was the one who had been hurting all those women. Then, they closed Sealview off because of the outbreak. Which you already know. I, and a couple of the other inmates, got into the officers' faces, wanting to know what was going on. Then, Harris took me down to the basement, where he tried to rape me. If Fin hadn't come along, he would have.'' She stopped for a second to take another breath. ''El, I'm a cop. I should have been able to protect myself.''

Elliot kissed her forehead. ''It's not your fault, Olivia. It's mine, for not trying to talk you out of going undercover. And Harris is going to jail, so he won't hurt you again. It was my job to protect you, and I failed. Trust me when I say that it won't happen again.''

Olivia kissed him softly. ''This is no one's fault but Harris'. He's the one who tried to rape me. You know how I get. You can't talk me out of anything. I love you. Let's just work this out together.''

Elliot wrapped his arms around her, and they laid back down. She laid against him and tried to go back to sleep. Elliot stroked her hair until she fell asleep. He was awake long after she dozed off, angry at himself that he hadn't been able to be there for her before this. He should have pressed her, made her tell him. He loved her, that's what he should have done. He finally fell asleep in the middle of the night.

The next morning, Olivia awoke from the best sleep she had ever had. She looked at her boyfriend; he was still sleeping. Liv checked the time. It was 8:30. She wondered when El had finally fallen asleep. It had to have been late.

She got up and headed off to the shower. She stood under the water for twenty minutes, letting it soothe her sore body. It had really been good sex, because her entire body ached.

After she had washed her hair and face, and scrubbed the rest of her body, she got out and tried off, wrapping the towel around herself. She went back to the bedroom. El was still sleeping. She was getting some clothes when the phone rang. ''Benson.'' She said, answering it quickly before it woke El.  
It was Fin. ''Hey, Liv. Cap's wondering where you two are.''

Olivia replied, ''We had a bit of a late night. We'll be there in an hour, I promise.'' She started to get dressed, holding the phone on her shoulder.

Fin said, ''Liv? Can I ask you? Are you guys together now? We told El to tell you his feelings yesterday.''

Olivia smiled, and looked at Elliot sleeping peacefully on her bed. ''Yeah, Fin, we are. Thanks. It was the best night of my life.'' She said bye and hung up before he could ask what happened. She wanted to keep it between her and Elliot a little bit longer.

As she was finishing getting dressed, El was stirring. ''Mmmm, Liv, come back to bed.'' He said, yawning and sitting up, giving Olivia a nice shot of his well-defined chest.

Liv shook her head. ''Can't. Fin just called. Cap's wondering where we are. Go shower. You can change clothes at the station.''

Elliot groaned and climbed out of bed. ''I'll take a quick rinse off and then we'll go get some breakfast. I'm starving.'' He kissed her and headed off to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth with his finger and got undressed so he could step in the shower. As he was getting in, Liv entered, holding some deoderant. ''I have some deoderant you can use. It's for men, before you fuss, and it's brand-new. Don't ask who it was for. Just use it.''

A few mintues later, Elliot emerged from the bathroom, tightening a towel around his waist. ''I smell like Polo.'' He said, making a face.

Olivia said, ''I'm going to blow-dry my hair. I'll just be a minute. Then we'll go get some breakfast real quick.'' She kissed him lightly. ''And you smell like you. You smell amazing.'' They kissed again and she headed into the bathroom.

Elliot dressed and towel dried his hair. He used the comb sitting on the dresser and headed out into the living room. He sat down on the couch and checked his cell. No missed calls. A few minutes later, Liv left the bathroom, and El was taken away by how amazing she looked. He stopped her as she went for her keys. ''You look breathtaking.'' He said, giving her a kiss.

Olivia kissed back, as he wrapped his arms around her. She felt herself wanting to take him back to the bedroom, and she broke the kiss. ''El, believe me, I want to keep doing that, but we've got to go. Come on.''

They arrived at the station a half an hour later, after getting breakfast for the others and Cap. Lake was staring at Elliot a little too closely, and just as El was going to say something, Lake said, ''El, you've got lipstick on your cheek.''

Elliot looked at Olivia, who laughed. He groaned and grabbed a tissue off Fin's desk to wipe it off. ''Thanks, Chester.'' He grumbled as he lightly hit Olivia on the arm. She just smiled at him.

Chester looked at Munch and Fin, who were both laughing. ''What's so funny?'' He asked, looking flabbergasted. While he had been aware of El and Liv's feelings for each other, he hadn't known that El and Kathy had officially split.

Munch said, ''Don't worry about it, Chester. You'll figure it out eventually.'' He turned to Elliot. ''You guys are lucky. Cap had to go court, so he won't know how long it took you to get here.''

Liv said, ''I thought he was wondering where we were? Fin called to let me know.'' She leaned against her desk and folded her arms.

Fin said, ''Oh, that was totally a joke, ya'll. We just wanted to see how quickly we could get you here.''

Elliot tried to look peeved, but Olivia's laugh stopped him. He laughed, too. ''Very funny, Tutuola.'' He said dryly.

Fin grinned happily at him. ''Yeah, I thought it was, Stabler.'' He took the coffee that El had handed him. ''So ya'll are an item now?'' He asked for Lake's benefit.

Olivia blushed deeply. ''Yes, we are. But we're not going to let this affect our work. We're going to be as professional as we can. Nothing is going to change.'' Munch, Fin, and Elliot looked at her. ''Well, except El and I might act like a couple from time to time.''

Lake's head snapped up from some paperwork he was doing. ''Whoa. You and El are dating? When did this happen? And where was I?'' He asked.

Olivia said, ''Well, I guess we're talking about this now. It happened last night at my apartment. That's all you need to know.''

Elliot held her gaze as he said, ''It was one of the best nights of my life.'' Olivia tried to keep the tears out of her eyes. It was sweet of him to say that.

Munch said, ''OK, you guys. We're going to change the subject. We're getting too mushy.''

The phone rang on Liv's desk, and she snatched it up. ''Benson.'' She said. She listened, and then hung up. ''Guys, we've got a rape victim at the hospital. El and I will go to the hospital and talk to the victim. Munch, Fin, you guys go to the crime scene.'' She gave Fin the address and picked up her car keys. ''Let's go, El. Girl's name is Jordie Stevens.''

It took them a few minutes to get to the hospital. Elliot opened the car door for her and instinctively took her hand. Olivia took a glance at their entwined hands. They had held hands before, but it had always been because one of them had been hurt. This was different. She liked it. Their hands looked nice together.

El stopped for a second as they went inside. ''Liv, what's up?'' He asked, and she flicked her gaze up to El's.

Olivia replied, ''Just looking at our hands.'' She tightened her grip on El's. ''It feels natural, right.'' She added.

Elliot grinned at her and then they approached the desk. Elliot pulled out his badge with his free hand. ''I'm Dect. Stabler, and this is my partner, Dect. Benson. We're here to talk to Jordie Stevens.''

The nurse told them where to go, so they headed to the second floor. Olivia wondered if she was going to be able to question this girl with El in the room and looking so _good._ She hoped this wouldn't make it more difficult to do her job.

Elliot was thinking along the same lines as they headed to the elevator. He hoped that they would be able to do it. They had before, but they hadn't been dating before. This was going to be interesting.

Jordie was lying in her hospital bed, awake and wiping her face with a wet wash cloth. She looked up when Elliot and Olivia entered. ''Hey, I know you guys. You're Elliot and Olivia.'' She said, putting down the wash cloth.

Olivia went to sit by her bed. ''Yes, may I ask how you know that?'' She felt rather than saw Elliot walk to her chair and stand beside it. She could smell him, and he smelled amazing.

Jordie replied, ''My uncle John works with you guys. I take it you're here to ask me about my attack?'' She couldn't bring herself to say rape.

Elliot nodded. ''So what happened? You can take your time giving us details.'' He was faintly aware of Olivia's vanilla shampoo. It was driving him insane.

Jordie said, ''Well, it happened last night when I was on my way home from a party. I was going the long way home, but I only live six blocks away. I wasn't going to take a cab. Plus, I really like to walk.'' She paused to take a drink of water. ''I think whomever it was knows me, because they were waiting for me by my building. He pushed me against the building and...'' She took a deep breath, ''raped me. He wore a mask and a condom, and then, pushed me on the ground and took off.'' She wiped a few tears from her face.

Olivia said, ''Did he say anything? Do anything that would make him stand out?'' She was still aware of El standing next to her, and despite what they were doing, she was finding it hard not to throw him down on the floor.

Jordie shook her head. ''No. He didn't say anything at all and he didn't have any weapons at all or anything.''

Elliot asked, ''Did you get a sense that you might know him? You said he might know you.''

Jordie shook her head again and wiped her face. ''No, he did smell like vanilla coffee, though. I thought that was a little weird. How many people in the world smell like coffee?''

Elliot started, and tried to cover it. Liv smelled like vanilla. That was a weird coincidence. ''Did he have anything with him that could have had coffee in it?''

Jordie replied, ''No, he just had that faint aroma of coffee. Like he had just drank some.''

They thanked her and left, figuring there wasn't much else they could get from her. Olivia's hand found El's again, and sighed at how right it felt. She wanted to bury her head in his shoulder and smell it. He smelled like Old Spice and soap. Plus, the Polo deoderant. It all together was one of the best smells in the whole world. It reminded her of home.

Elliot looked at Olivia. ''Let's find out where she works and go get the names of the people at that party.''

They went back to the precinct. Fin greeted them as they came in. ''When we got there, we talked to her roommate Karen Kolchek. Says Jordie works with social services. Gave me a list of people at the party.''

Munch added, ''We talked to the CSU team, too, and they said that the guy left no evidence at all. This'll be fun.''

Elliot took the list that Fin handed him and began to look it over as Olivia watched him. His brow furrowed with concentration. She thought it was totally sexy. ''Munch, this is your niece, isn't it? She said her uncle John works with us.'' He said.

Munch nodded. ''I wondered when you guys would figure it out. I've got a couple of pics of you guys at the apartment. She asked who you were. I told her.''

Olivia said, ''Yeah, she knew us. Is this going to be something you can handle? I'm sure Cragen'll be cool if you want to let us catch him.''

Munch replied, ''I'll be fine, Liv. I just want to find this guy. Fin and I can handle the party kids if you guys go to the work. Or vice versa.''

Elliot looked at Olivia. ''You want to do that? Or do you want to check out the party kids?'' He watched as a lock of hair fell softly over her eye. It was so sexy.

Olivia said, ''Why don't we handle the party kids? Munch and Fin can do the office. Come on.'' She took El's hand and they headed out to her car. ''Do you want to drive?'' She asked, holding out the keys.

Elliot said, ''It's your car, Liv. You can drive if you want.'' He did stop for a minute and take her in his arms. ''I've been wanting to do this all day.'' He kissed her deeply.

Olivia gave in for a second, because it was hard not to, she loved him. But then she broke it. ''Come on, El. We've still got kids to interview.'' One last kiss, and she got in the car.

They didn't talk much on the way there. But that was OK. It was a comfortable silence. Elliot was trying to concentrate on the questions he had to ask, but Olivia's vanilla smell was intoxicating. He couldn't get her off his mind. He had been jonesing for her for years, but it was totally different now that he actually had her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He _had_ loved Kathy, but it just felt right with Olivia.

Olivia was thinking along the same lines. She had been in love with El for so long now that it was second nature, like breathing. But now that she had him, it was ten times more amazing than she could ever have imagined. That sounded so cliche, but God help her, it was true.

They arrived at the home of Jordie. Liv wanted to talk to Karen, get the addresses of these people, ask her if she had gone. She might know something. ''Come on, El. Let's go.''

Elliot followed her to Jordie's apartment building, still overwhelmed by Liv's scent. For some reason, he still couldn't shake the bad feeling he had about this rapist. It was too weird to him that the perp smelled like his girlfriend. He couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't a coincidence.

They walked up to Jordie's and knocked. Karen came to the door. ''Hello, may I help you?'' She asked.

Olivia and Elliot flashed their badges. ''Hi. You Karen Kolchek?'' Olivia asked.

Karen nodded. ''Yes, and whom may I ask are you two?'' She stepped back and let them in.

Olivia said, ''I'm Dect. Olivia Benson, and this is my'' she paused as she almost said boyfriend, ''partner, Dect. Elliot Stabler. We're here to ask you some questions about the attack on your roommate.''

Karen said, ''OK. I'm happy to help. I'm so sorry it happened. Jordie and I have been best friends since high school.'' She tossed long hair back over her shoulder.

Elliot asked, ''Did you go to the party with her last night?''

Karen shook her head. ''No. I was sick. I just wanted to stay at home. But I knew all the kids at the party. I gave it to Dect. Tutuola.''

Olivia nodded. ''Yes, we also want addresses for those people. Jordie thinks the rapist knew her. She said he was waiting for her outside. Did you hear anything or go outside at all?''

Karen paused a minute. ''No, I guess I didn't. I heard our neighbor's dogs barking, but that's all. Does she think it's someone from the party? We've known these people since college.''

Olivia asked, ''And how long has it been since college?'' It couldn't have been that long ago, Karen didn't look much older than twenty-five.

Karen said, ''A few years ago. Jords and I are twenty-seven. We were all freshman together, so we've known them nearly ten years. Does she really think that one of them could have done it?''

Elliot shrugged. ''It's a possibilty. We're going to check out the people she works with, too. We don't have a suspect right now.''

Karen said, ''Make sure you check out Kevin Davis. He has always been obsessed with Jords. He was at the party last night. I called our friend Deila Anderson, she gave the party, and asked her. She said Kevin hung around Jords all night long.''

Olivia asked, ''Did Kevin leave before or after Jordie? The rapist was here waiting for her, so he had to have gotten here first.''

Karen shrugged. ''I forgot to ask. I wouldn't put it past him. Kev's always been a little weird. Oh, and then there's Mitch Oglemeijer. He's always had the hots for Jords, too.''

Olivia quickly checked the list for both Kevin and Mitch's names. They had both gone to the party. She had Karen give her addresses and they headed out. Liv decided they'd head for Mitch's first. It was only a couple of blocks away.

Elliot observed, ''It wouldn't have been hard for this Mitch guy. His apartment's right inbetween Jordie's and the party. He could've left a little early, stopped by home to get into the black getup, and then gone to Jordie's to wait.''

It took them only a few minutes to reach Mitch's. Olivia hurried up to the building and was buzzed in by Mitch's sister. Elliot quickly followed.

The sister opened the door. ''I'm Mitch's sister Evelyn. He and I are rooming together. Is this about Jordie Stevens? My brother didn't rape her. He wouldn't ever rape anyone.''

Olivia introduced herself and Elliot. ''We talked to Karen Kolchek, Jordie's roommate, and she said Mitch had a bit of an obsession with Jordie. Is he home? We'd like to speak to him.''

Evelyn shook her head. ''He's at work. he works with Jordie. We all went to college together. He wasn't even at the party that long.''

Olivia asked, ''Did you go with him? We've got a list of the party goers, you weren't on it.''

Evelyn sat down, and waved her hands for Liv and El to follow suit. ''No, I was at home the whole evening. But I saw him leave and come home again. He was only gone for an hour.''

Olivia replied, ''We'll check with the others, see if he was there the whole time. Did Mitch ever ask Jordie out, that kind of thing? Was there ever any issues of stalking or anything like that?''

Eveyln vehemently shook her head. ''No. Mitch did like her, but he never stalked her. They were friends. They even worked in the same department. My brother isn't a rapist.''

They asked her a few more questions, and then left. ''Well, if he did it, she's either lying or doesn't know a thing about it.'' Elliot said.

Olivia replied, ''Well, he's definitely a suspect in my book. If he only stayed gone for an hour? He may have been there and then gone home tp get his stuff. Or stashed it first. His place isn't that far from the party.''

Elliot said, ''We need to go to the party hosters', see who came and stayed awhile and who left early.''

Olivia agreed. ''Who hosted the party?''

Elliot checked the list. ''Deila Anderson and her boyfriend Kyle Davidson. Let's go.'' He opened the driver side door for her.

Olivia thanked him and got in. This was different, but it felt the same. She liked it.


	2. Chapter 2

When they got there, Elliot opened the door for her again and then took her hand. They walked up to the apartment building together. Elliot tensed up for a second. Liv asked, ''Hey, what's wrong?''

Elliot shrugged. ''I just don't feel right. There's just something that's not right.'' He looked warily up at the building.

Olivia tightened her grip on his hand. ''It's cool, El. We can handle this.'' She looked at him, wondering why he all of a sudden was so weirded out about this building.

They buzzed and were let in. Deila opened the door. ''Hello, Dectectives. Karen called me. Ask us whatever you need to.''

Olivia said, ''We need to know all of the people who left before the party was officially over.'' She glanced at Elliot, who was just peering around cautiously.

Deila said, ''Yeah, that would be Mitch and Kevin. They were the only ones who left early. I know that doesn't help you. They're the ones who were obsessed with her.''

Liv cast a another glance at Elliot. He was still looking a little uneasy. She took the next question since he didn't venture one. ''Did they cause any problems? Get into a fight with Jordie?''

Deila shook her head. ''No. They weren't talking to each other. Mitch and Kev haven't spoken for three years, since they figured out that they were both in love with Jords. She didn't end up talking to them. She hung out with Kyle and I all night.''

Liv looked at Elliot for a third time, who was still being very quiet. She could tell something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what. She asked, ''Did they leave together?''

Deila shook her head again. ''No. Mitch left first. Kevin stuck around for about an hour after that. He played a game of Pyramid with some of the others and then said bye to Kyle and I at ten-thirty. Everyone else left at twelve-thirty.''

Olivia said, ''That's pretty early for a party.'' She made a note on her pad, wondering when Elliot was actually going to add something to this interview.

Kyle, who'd been sitting on the couch, nervously watching Elliot, said, ''People had stuff to do the following day. 'Sides, we aren't twenty-one anymore.''

Elliot surprised all three of them by abruptly leaving the apartment. He went downstairs and out to the car. He knew Liv was going to be ticked. He couldn't help it. That place gave him the creeps.

Liv came out a couple of minutes later, looking angry. ''What the hell happened in there, El? First, you don't say anything, then you just leave? What's going on, babe?''

Elliot looked at her. It was the first time she'd ever called him anything but his name or her partner. ''I'm sorry, hon, but that apartment gave me the creeps. Something's just not right. Kyle's a weirdo, too.''

Liv said, ''Gut feelings can be wrong, El. I know you don't have a lot of experience at being wrong, but they can.''

Elliot looked at her. ''Liv, I've been a cop for a long time. I know that I'm not wrong about this. I think it might be Kyle.''

Liv asked, ''Why would it be Kyle? Mitch and Kevin are the ones who were obsessed with her. Why would Kyle have done it?''

Elliot shrugged. ''I don't know. There could be lots of reasons. And we have no DNA evidence. That means it could be anyone. Who's to say it's not Kyle?''

Liv folded her arms. ''Yeah, you're right. We can't rule anyone out. But I really doubt that Kyle's the rapist.''

Elliot ended the conversation by getting in the car. For some reason he couldn't even explain, he felt very strongly about Kyle. He couldn't let it go. He thought Kyle should be a suspect.

Olivia stood for a minute outside the car, watching El and thinking. She wondered why El felt so strongly that Kyle had raped Jordie. They had no reason to believe that he had done it. Mitch and Kevin were more believable. Something had to be up with El. Usually he didn't fixate on someone unless he had some sort of reason. He was acting a bit like Monk all of a sudden.

She got into the car and stuck the key in. Elliot still wasn't saying anything. She said, ''El, if this is going to work, we can't be like we used to be. We've taken things to the next level. You've got to tell me if something's wrong.''

Elliot didn't look at her, just stared straight ahead. ''Nothing's up, Liv. I promise. I just don't have a good feeling about him. Let's just go talk to Kevin, OK, hon?''

Olivia just started the car and headed in the direction of Kevin's apartment. She hoped that El would snap out of it and be of a help when they were talking to Kevin.

The apartment building that Kevin lived in wasn't as nice as the other two. Olivia parked the car and looked at Elliot. ''Are you coming in with me?''

Elliot nodded. Of course. I told you, babe, I'm fine.'' He got out of the car and hurried to let her out before she could let herself out.

Olivia took his hand as she climbed out. She closed the door and they headed up to the building. It was a walk up. They headed inside, and up to the third floor, Kevin's floor.

His apartment was very noisy and the door was already open. Olivia hollered, ''Kevin Davis, it's the police. We've got some questions for you.''

A girl came to the door. ''Hi, I'm Rachel Perez, Kevin's friend. He's getting dressed. Come on in.'' She stepped back to let them in the doorway.

Elliot and Olivia entered, holding out their badges. Elliot introduced them. ''So where were you last night? You weren't invited to the party.''

Rachel shook her head. ''No, I'm a child-hood friend of Kevin's. The group from the party doesn't really like me much.'' She sat down on the couch and gestured to the chairs, indicating Olivia and Elliot to sit.

Olivia said, ''Did you hang out here, or were you at your own place?''

Rachel replied, ''Oh, I was here. Kevin and I are roommates.''

Olivia asked, ''Does he know that you're in love with him?'' She pulled her notebook out of her pocket.

Rachel blushed. ''Is it really that obvious?'' She asked, brushing blonde curls.

Olivia shook her head. ''No, I'm just good at these things. So does it bother you that he likes someone else?'' She knew it had to, when Elliot was with Kathy, it had killed her.

Rachel asked, ''What are you talking about? Kevin doesn't like anyone right now.''

Elliot said, ''You must be in the dark, 'cause he's been obsessed with Jordie Stevens since college.''

Rachel shook her head. ''No, no, he's not. She's obsessed with him. She follows him around like a puppy dog.'' She met Olivia's eyes and ignored El's completely.

Olivia ''That's not the way everyone else tells it. Everyone else claims it's the other way around.'' She wondered if Rachel really was as clueless as she seemed.

Rachel said, ''Kevin and I dated in high school, for our senior year. We have talked about getting back together. So I don't think that he wants her.''

Elliot folded his arms. ''Could be he wants his cake and to eat it, too. Or he could be settling for you because he can't have Jordie.'' He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but something wasn't adding up.

Rachel shook her head again as Kevin came out of the bedroom. ''No, he doesn't like her anymore. Tell them, Kev.''

Kevin said, ''I'm Kevin Davis. You two are?'' He turned the stereo off. Rachel had only turned it down.

Olivia introduced herself and Elliot again. ''We're here to ask you about the rape of Jordie Stevens. Where were you last night after the party? Deila says you didn't stay long.''

Kevin said, ''No, I didn't. I had some work to do at home.''

Elliot asked, ''At ten-thirty at night? What kind of housework gets done that late?'' He didn't like this guy already, but he didn't think he was the rapist.

Kevin looked nervous. ''I didn't do it. I like her, yeah, but I didn't rape her. Rach and I are kind of talking.''

Rachel wore an "I told you so" expression as she said, ''Did you talk to Mitch Oglemeijer yet? He's really the one who's obsessed with her.''

Olivia replied, ''We've already spoken to him, but we can't give you details about the case.''

Elliot asked, ''Speaking of Mitch, Kevin, didn't the two of you used to be good friends?''

Kevin nodded. ''Yeah. We stopped talking because we both liked Jordie. Mitch didn't want the competition.''

Olivia made a note on her notebook and then asked, ''Did she show any interest at all in either one of you?''

Kevin shook his head. ''Nope. But it didn't matter. Mitch and I both liked her and we just wanted to be around her.''

Elliot asked, ''Did you want to be with her enough to rape her?'' While he didn't think that he did it, they still had to ask.

Kevin vehemently refused. ''No, of course not. I told you, I came right back here. I never touched her. I don't think Mitch would have, either. I may not be friends with him anymore, but I don't think that he raped her, either.''

Olivia asked, ''Why do you think that? Everyone else thinks Mitch is pretty weird.''

Kevin asked, ''Have you ever liked someone you couldn't have?''

Olivia looked at Elliot. He smiled at her, his blue eyes looking as inviting as a dip in the ocean. ''Yes, I have. Sometimes it can work out, even if you don't expect it to.''

Kevin caught the look. ''Are you two dating? How can you keep it seperate from your job?'' He looked like he really wanted to know.

Elliot said, ''We are, but that has nothing to do with the rape of Jordie Stevens. Answer my partner's question.'' He tried to look stern, but it was hard. Anything to do with Olivia made him smile.

Kevin said, ''Well, the point I was trying to make is, even when you can't have the person you love, you still don't want to hurt them. Mitch really loved her. Still does. He wouldn't hurt her like that. However, you might check Kyle Davidson out. He's been dating Deila for three years now, but Jords is his ex-girlfriend. They dated for a year in college. Kyle has always thought of her as the girl who got away. Deila has never really liked that much.''

Elliot shot an "I told you so look" at his girlfriend and said, ''So did Kyle ever leave the apartment during the party?''

Kevin said, ''No, but Deila did for about an hour or so. She was still gone when I left. You'd have to ask Kyle for the time that she came back home.''

They thanked Kevin and Rachel and went back out to the car. Elliot said, ''Well I guess I was right to have such a weird feeling about Kyle and Deila's place.''

Olivia rolled her eyes. ''Yeah, yeah. You were right. But we still don't have any proof. Should we do back to check in with Munch and Fin?''

Elliot nodded. ''Yeah. We'll see what they found out from Jordie's coworkers.''

When they got to the station, Munch and Fin weren't there. Neither was Lake or Cragen. Elliot pulled Olivia to him. ''Looks like we've got a few minutes.'' He said mischievously.

Olivia looked into El's eyes. There was that sparkling ocean feeling again. ''El, we can't do that here. Cragen would have a fit and you know it.'' She told him.

Elliot slipped his arms around her waist. ''Liv, you can't tell me that you don't want to. I know you do.'' He planted a light kiss on her forehead, even though he wanted to do so much more.

Olivia put her arms around his neck. ''I'm not saying I don't. One smell of your neck, and you've got me. I just don't think that it would be a good idea.''

Lake came in, making them jump apart. ''Hey, don't stop on account of me. I'm just here to get some stuff. I've got another case I'm working on.''

Olivia tried to pay attention to Lake, but it was hard with El blowing on her ear and standing so close to her. She could smell him. ''What case, Lake? Why haven't you told us about it?''

Lake was looking very secretive. ''Don't worry about it, Benson. I've got it under control.'' Carrying a few folders tucked securely under his arm, he left.

Coast clear, Olivia hit Elliot playfully on the arm. ''You know what that does to me. We've got to wait for Munch and Fin, whether we want to or not.''

Elliot smiled at her. ''Can't blame a guy for tryin'. Our relationship is new and I love you so much.''

Olivia smiled and ran her hand through his hair. ''I love you, too. And you know that I'd love to just take you right now. But not here.'' She looked into his eyes again, and was nearly undone.

Elliot playfully tickled her, making her laugh. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He kissed her softly. ''You are the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen.'' He told her.

Olivia pulled him even closer. ''I have loved you for years. You are one of the most wonderful men that I have ever met.'' She captured his mouth in a searing, passionate kiss.

Elliot smiled at her when the kiss broke. ''So you don't think I'm good-looking, too?'' He teased.

Olivia responded by kissing him again, this one even more passionate than the last. ''You know I think you're hot.'' She said when they could both breathe again.

Munch and Fin entered the squad room, making El and Liv spring apart. Munch said, ''You guys want to hear what we've got, or take each other right here?'' He ignored the harsh look from Fin.

Olivia said, ''Back off, Munch. Of course we want to hear what you found. We've got info to share with you, too.'' Elliot's hand was snaking around her waist again, and she batted it away. She needed to concentrate.

Fin said, ''We found out it probably isn't anyone from the workplace. Nobody there was harassing her or anything like that.'' He went to stand by his desk. He didn't know what Munch's problem was. Yeah, it was a little weird to catch Liv and El making out in the squad room, but now that they were together, that was probably going to happen from time to time.

Olivia asked, ''Are you sure? Mitch Oglemeijer works with her, and we got some of the party guests say he was pretty obsessed with her.'' She folded her arms, to help resist the temptation to grab Elliot and throw him down on the floor.

Fin nodded. ''Yeah, it's most likely nobody from work's our rapist. What did ya'll find out?'' He shot a warning look at Munch. Even after all these years of partnering with Munch, he still didn't know how the man's mind worked.

Olivia replied, ''We talked to Mitch's sister, the party hosters, and Kevin and his new girlfriend. Kevin told us that Kyle Davidson's Jordie's ex-boyfriend. He dated her for a year in college. The problem is, Kyle never left the party. His girl Deila did.''

Fin said, ''What reason would Deila have for raping Jordie?''

Elliot said, ''Could be she's jealous that Kyle thinks of Jordie as the one that got away. She could've snapped. It would explain why there was no DNA. But then we'd have to look for anything she might have used.''

Fin said, ''That's possible. Have you guys gone back and asked Deila about it?''

Olivia said, ''No, not yet. We wanted to see what you had found out before we went back.'' She caught Munch looking at her, and met his gaze. She could quickly broke it before he said something else.

He did anyway. ''Yeah, you looked like you were working real hard just now.'' He said resentfully.

Elliot looked at Munch. ''What right do you have to judge us? Liv and I have been waiting for years to be together. You were one of the ones who told me to go for it with her. Why are you all of a sudden jumping at us?''

Munch got right back in El's face. He wasn't quick to anger, and they hadn't had many fights. ''I told you to go for it, yes, but the squad room is no place to mount your new girlfriend.'' He was surprising himself. He didn't know why this bothered him so much.

Olivia stepped up beside Elliot. '''Get off our case, Munch. What El and I do is our own business.''

Munch said, ''Yeah, until you're making out in the squad room.'' He could hardly believe the way he was talking to them. He didn't really care if they had sex all over the station. It just was annoying him.

Olivia had to grab El's arms to keep him from hitting Munch. ''John, just back off, OK? We'll try to keep it under control.'' She just wanted to get Elliot outside and away from John before he did something that they'd all regret.

Elliot looked at her incredulously. ''He's not Cap. We don't have to make that promise.'' He knew that Olivia just wanted to get him away from Munch, but he didn't want to give in.

Olivia said, ''I know, babe, but he's got a point, OK? Let's just drop it for now. El and I will go interview Deila again. See why she left her own party. You and Fin check out Kevin's and Mitch's backgrounds. See if they've got any priors.'' She pulled El out to the elevators, him looking back at Munch incredulously the whole time.

Elliot was still peeved, and didn't say much on the way down. Olivia kept looking at him, wondering how mad he still was. He just kept balling his hands into fists.

When they got outside, he finally said, ''Is this how it's going to be from now on? Munch judging us? And Fin's his partner, why didn't he say anything to him?''

Olivia rubbed his back softly. ''I don't know, babe. But you don't know what was going on with Munch. We'll talk to them both later. Everyone will calm down. Let's just go to Deila and Kyle's.''

They got there, and Kyle was outside, looking peeved. ''Dectectives.'' He said, as they got out of the car and walked up to him. His shirt was a little torn.

Elliot asked, ''What's up, Kyle? Why are you outside like this?'' He quickly pulled out his notebook, in case it had something to do with the case.

Kyle looked up to the second floor, towards his apartment. ''Deila and I got into a fight. Rachel Perez called, accusing me of raping Jords. Deila said she believed her, and threw me out.''

Olivia asked, ''Why would she believe her? I thought you'd been dating for three years?'' She cast a look at Elliot. That didn't sound like a loyal girlfriend.

Kyle nodded. ''Yeah, we have. But Deila has never liked the fact that I stayed friends with Jordie. And she never liked her in school. So I'm not real surprised that Dee believed Rachel.''

Olivia asked, ''May I ask why you and Jordie broke up? If you don't mind.''

Kyle shook his head. ''It's cool. Well, we had been dating for about a year, and I was getting ready to ask her to marry me. Then she told me that she wasn't ready to commit to one person, and that she wanted to be just friends. I was hurt for awhile, but then I missed her, so we were friends.''

Elliot asked, ''Do you know why Deila left the party? Kevin says she left. Said we'd have to ask you to get the time that she came back.''

Kyle said, ''I'm not sure why she left. She did leave, I remember. But she didn't come back until about one am.''

Olivia glanced at Elliot, then back at Kyle. ''Are you completely positive?''

Kyle nodded. ''Yeah, I remember, because I was watching _Die Hard 2_ on USA when she got back.'' He looked up at the window to his place again.

Olivia said, ''We've got to talk to Deila, El. Let's go.'' They walked into the building and headed upstairs.

El said on the way, ''We need a confession, Liv. If it was her, we've got nothing that Novak can take to court.''

Olivia nodded. ''I know. I just hope we can get one if it was.''

The door was open, and Deila was pacing around, listening to loud music. She seemed to be having a conversation with herself. She looked very dishevelled.

Elliot said, ''Deila, it's Olivia and Elliot, you remember us? What happened?'' He thought a gentle approach was the best. They needed her to tell them where she had been the night before, and he didn't think force was going to work.

Deila looked up. ''What happened? I'll tell you what happened. Kyle raped Jordie Stevens, that's what.'' She went back to muttering to herself.

Olivia asked, ''How did you find that out?'' She and El carefully entered the apartment.

Deila didn't stop pacing as she replied, ''Rachel Perez called and told me.''

Olivia pulled out her notebook and then asked, ''Did she give you any reasons about why she thinks that?''

Deila shook her head. ''No. She just said that that's what she thought. I chose to believe her because I knew that Kyle still loves Jordie, so I thought he might have done it.''

Olivia looked at Elliot. That sounded like Rachel sticking her nose in. ''Well, OK. But we actually came to see why you left your own party and didn't get home until one-thirty.''

Deila looked at her. She looked even more nervous now. ''Why? Who told you that?'' She demanded to know.

Elliot answered. ''After we talked to Kevin, we talked to Kyle. They both told us that you left the party. Kevin said you left before he did. Kyle confirmed what he told us.''

Deila looked even more nervous now. ''I don't remember why I left. I was with Kyle and Jords. You should ask them.'' She had started to look a little out of it.

Olivia said, ''Well, here's the thing, Deila. Kevin also told us that Kyle thought of Jordie as the one that got away. He said that you didn't like that too much.''

Deila sat down on the couch, running her hands through her hair. Elliot was beginning to like her for this. ''Yeah, I don't even like her. She's his ex. She's never given him a second thought since they broke up, but I know he still loves her. It bothers me.''

Olivia said, ''I can understand that. If one of my boyfriend's exes was still around, it would bother me.'' She waved her hand at El to let him know that she was just sympathizing with her.

Deila seemed to be outside of herself as she said, ''Yeah, that's why I did it. I fixed her. I showed her.'' She looked very dazed.

Olivia looked back at Elliot and then back at Deila. ''What did you do, Deila?'' She asked carefully.

What she said next surprised them both. ''I raped her. I took the dildo that Kyle got me for my birthday.'' She waved her hand towards the bedroom. ''It's in a plastic baggie under the bed.''

Elliot went to get it as Olivia read Deila her rights. They took her down to the station, Elliot calling Fin on the way. It had never been this easy before.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: OK. I will tell you that things seem to move even more quickly with this chapter. Just bear with me. And ya'll know the love has been there all along. Just keep with it. Hold all thoughts until the end of the chapter. OK. Read on._

Chapter Three

They got to the precinct and Dr. George Huang, an psychiatrist with the FBI who worked with them on a lot of cases, was already there. Elliot told Liv to take Deila back to the interrogation room so Huang could interview her. He then turned to Huang. ''I think you ought to talk to her. See if she's covering up for somebody. She just confessed out of the blue, and she seemed really out of it. Like it was an out of body experience or something.''

Huang asked, ''Do you think that she could have gone temporarily insane? How did she seem to you when you and Olivia were interviewing her? Did she seem especially violent? Or was she calm?''

Elliot replied, ''Well, I do think it's possible she may have a mental disorder. Do I think she went temporarily insane? No. She was fine when we talked to her earlier today. She completely ignored my gaze and anything I had to say, and focused on Liv. And she looked really dazed and confused. But it all could have been an act, too.''

Olivia came back into the squad room. She smiled wearily at El. ''Hey, since we've collared this girl, why don't we ask Cap for that vacation time we've got stored up? We can spend it at my apartment.'' She said, sliding an arm around his waist.

Huang smiled at them. ''This is a new development. I'm happy for you.'' He said.

Olivia looked extremely happy herself. ''Thanks, George. I'm just glad it finally happened.'' She kissed Elliot's cheek. She was the happiest she had ever been in her entire life.

Huang looked at Elliot. ''How do you feel, Elliot? Are you as happy as Olivia clearly is?''

Elliot knew Huang wasn't trying to "shrink" him, just making conversation, but all the same, it was hard not to get a little angry. It was safe to say he had anger issues. ''Of course I am. I love Liv very much.'' He kissed Liv's cheek and said, ''I'm going to go ask Cap about that time.'' He looked at Huang. ''Is Cap back from court?''

Huang said, ''I assumed he'd been here. He's in his office. I've already spoken to him and Fin.''

Elliot headed for Cragen's office. He was there, just as Huang said. ''Hey, Cap, since we got the perp, Liv and I were wondering if we could take the vacation time we've got coming.''

Cragen looked up from some paperwork. ''I guess that would be fine. I know you just want to spend time together. Lake, Munch, and Fin can handle things for a few days. Go to Olivia's whenever you want.''

Elliot's smile was ear to ear. ''Thanks, Cap. It means a lot.'' He said, and headed to Liv's desk, to tell her the news. It was going to be luxorious, to have some time together.

Olivia was talking to Casey, and smiling. ''Yeah, it's weird how suddenly it happened, but I'm so happy.'' She was saying, as El came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Casey smiled. ''It's good to see you both so happy. And I'm glad you got this girl so quickly. I'm off to tell Jordie the good news.''

Olivia said, ''Break it to her gently. A friend of hers did this. And it was another woman. She'll take it hard. Anyone would.''

Casey said, ''I'll be as gentle as possible.'' She turned to go, and then looked back. ''So, Liv, call me later?''

Olivia smiled. ''Sure. We can talk a little more privately that way.'' Casey left, and Olivia asked Elliot, ''So, did Cap give us the OK?'' She was fighting the urge to throw him down on the floor again.

Elliot kissed her. ''Of course. Why don't you finish up the arrest report on Deila, and then we'll head to the apartment.'' He wanted to bury his head in her hair and inhale.

Olivia was giddy. ''Great. Let me do that asap then.'' She sat down and got right to work, trying to get the sight of a shirtless Elliot out of her mind so she could concentrate on the task at hand.

Fin entered the squad room. El gave him a glance, but didn't say anything. Fin said, ''Look, El. I'm sorry that John was saying those things. And I'm sorry that I didn't speak up. He's just worried about Jordie.''

Elliot tried to keep his temper in check. That was understandable, but he had hardly ever fought with John Munch, and this was one he felt strongly about. ''Yeah, that's understandable. But why didn't _you_ say anything? He's your partner.''

Fin said, ''Yeah, but I can't control him anymore than you can Olivia. I just gotta back his play. I'm his partner. If he can't trust me, who can he trust? I'm only telling you this because he's sorry. And he'll calm down. You know he's glad for you and Liv.''

Elliot said, ''I don't know anything anymore. Nobody's really acting like themselves 'cept Liv and I. Lake's acting really strange, now Munch. It's odd.''

Fin asked, ''When did you see Lake? I've been calling him all day.'' Since Lake had joined SVU, Fin had partnered with him quite a bit. Munch had eased back on the field time.

Elliot replied, ''Earlier today, before we collared Deila. He interrupted Liv and I. He was carrying some folders. He told us he was working on a case. Liv asked about it, he told her he had it covered.''

Fin said, ''That's a little strange. I'ma try to call him again.'' He sat down at his desk and picked up the phone.

Elliot sat down at his desk. There was a message from Kathy, so he figured he should call her back. It must have been important, she didn't call him at work or at all much anymore.

She picked up on the first ring. ''Wow, I didn't think you'd get back to me this quickly.'' She said.

Elliot replied, a little exsasperated, ''Kathy, we agreed to be as friendly as we could for the kids. What do you need?''

Kathy said, ''I wanted to know if you and Olivia are enjoying being together. Maureen saw you two at the coffee place this morning.'' He couldn't see her, but he could tell she was pissed.

Elliot groaned. ''Kath, don't do this. I know we've only been split up a couple of months, but the marriage was rocky before that. I was just kind of waiting for you to get to the same place I was.''

Kathy asked, ''How long have you been in love with her? I can't promise I won't get mad, but I do want to know.''

Elliot sighed. He wasn't going to lie to her. There was no point. ''I'm sorry, Kath. It's been years. You don't really want to know how many. I'm not even sure. I just realized one day that I loved her. But Kath, we never did anything while I was with you. Just know that.''

Kathy said, albeit a little angrily, ''Whatever, Elliot. Just be more careful with the sightings from now on.'' She hung up without a good-bye, and Elliot was not surprised.

Olivia watched El slam the phone down. She had heard. ''So, Kathy taking things badly?'' She asked. She couldn't imagine being in Kathy's position. She didn't really blame her for being mad.

Elliot said, ''Don't worry about Kathy. I can handle her.''

Olivia said, ''Actually, we need to talk about the kids. When are we going to talk to them? Are you going to wait a bit? Or do you not see a future with me?''

Elliot got up and walked around. He knelt by her chair and took her hands in his own. ''If I thought it was a good idea, I'd say let's get married tomorrow. I see a future with you, Liv. I don't want one without you.''

Liv smiled and planted a kiss on him. ''Who knew you could be so romantic?'' She added, ''Well, I'm finished with the report. Let's blow this popsicle stand.'' El grabbed their jackets and they headed out.

Elliot saw her to the apartment and said, ''I've got to get some clothes and stuff. I'll be back.''

Olivia smiled at him. ''OK. I'll call for Chinese food. Call me when you get back in the city.'' Kathy and Elliot had lived in Queens. It would take him awhile to get there. She gave him a kiss and he took off.

She headed up and decided to call Casey. She should have a minute by now. While she dialed, she got the Chinese menu out so she could be thinking about what she wanted to eat.

''Novak.'' Casey said, all business-like, when she picked up. She was working over-time already, writing her opening statement. She was just waiting on the call from the lab saying that the DNA matched Deila and Jordie.

''Casey. It's Liv. Did Jordie take everything alright?'' Olivia asked, settling back on the couch. She was tired. She and Elliot had caught this girl quickly, but she got tired of running all over the five boroughs sometimes.

Casey responded, ''Hey, Liv. She was a bit upset, adn she'll be dealing with the fallout for awhile, but I think she'll be OK. So, how was last night?'' She asked without preamble.

Olivia could feel herself blushing. She hadn't shared this much with another person in her entire life. Not even before she and Elliot had gotten together had they shared everything. She had never really had a girlfriend to tell things to. That's why she had reached out to Casey. It had started because she had been tired of keeping her feelings for Elliot to herself. So it seemed fitting that Casey would be the one she was telling all this to. ''It was fabulous, Casey. He took it slow the first time, which, they always do, because he was he didn't want to hurt me, but the _second_ time, _oooooooooooooooh._ It was by far, the best sex I ever had.''

Casey said, ''_Second_ time? You did it _twice_?'' She asked. Then, after a moment, ''It must be all the years of pent up sexual combustion.'' This made Olivia laugh.

Olivia, still giggling, said, ''Must be. But he has the most fab body under those suits, Casey. I was nearly undone.'' He _had_ exhausted her. That's why it had been so easy to fall asleep.

They talked a bit more, about a half hour, talking stamina, and then Casey got her call from the lab. It wasn't going to be a hard case. They had Deila's confession, and the dildo she'd used. The DNA had in fact, tested positive for Jordie and Deila both, so Casey knew even if she hadn't confessed, they still would have had her. It was the cliche "smoking gun". Olivia also called for the Chinese, because Elliot had called her while she was talking to Casey to let her know he was back in Manhattan.

Olivia went to change into her sweats. She didn't feel the need to dress in a sexy negligee for El. Their relationship already felt like slipping on an old, faded pair of jeans. They were your favorite, and you already knew they looked good. It was familiar, but unfamiliar at the same time. In other words, El thought she was sexy no matter what she was wearing.

Speaking of El, he was buzzing to be let up. Liv hurried to let him in. ''Hey, baby.'' She said, after he had finished climbing the stairs. He had changed, and she watched his chest muscles flex under his his Yankee tee. It was very hot. His behind looked really good in the jeans he wore, too. Olivia gave it all a mighty thumbs up.

El gave her a kiss, and he carried a duffel. ''I got some stuff. Hey, I want to ask you something. I know it's way too soon, but since we've already made love twice, hear me out. What do you say to me moving in? Kathy has graciously been storing my stuff for me. I've been staying at the station, 'cause I haven't found a place yet. But I'd really like to move in with you. It'd be great.''

Olivia smiled at him. ''Well, I guess that would be amazing. Waking up to you every day. How could I say no to that?''

They celebrated by christening Olivia's newly waxed floors. She was surprised at how quickly she reached her climax. It had to be Elliot. She had never reached it so quickly before.

Just as they were getting dressed, the Chinese arrived. El quickly finished pulling his jeans on, and headed shirtless to the door. Olivia was pulling her panties on when she glanced at El's Yankee tee lying on the floor. She had pulled it off and tossed it in the heat of the moment. She picked it up and put it on. It smelled like him, delicious.

Elliot came back, carrying the Chinese food. ''Smells great.'' He commented, and then noticed how sexy Liv looked. ''Wow. I'll never look at that shirt the same way again.'' He said.

Olivia laughed, and El was reminded of tinkling bells. It was great to hear her laugh. ''I'm hungry. Let's eat.'' She said, as she followed him into the kitchen.

Elliot placed the stuff on the counter and got out some paper plates. He knew Liv had dishes, but she was more of a paper plater. Olivia watched the muscles in his arms flex as he did. He had a fabulous body. Olivia had never seen a better looking man. El turned to look at her. ''Enjoying the view, Liv?'' He teased.

Liv grinned as she took the paper plate El handed her. She piled it high with sweet and sour chicken and white rice. ''You know it.'' She said, taking another eyeful of El's _very_ defined chest.

He smiled at her as they sat down at the table. ''Liv, I just want to tell you that since we together, I have felt the most alive I've ever felt in a long time.''

Olivia took a bite of chicken. ''Me, too. And I'm totally happy that you're going to be living here. Are you really sure about it?'' She didn't want to take this step unless he was really ready for it.

El nodded. ''Of course, Liv. I want to wake up to you every day. And we've known each other for years. All I want is to be around you as much as I possibly can.''

Olivia couldn't help but smile. ''You keep sayin' things like that, I may have to keep you around, Stabler.'' She teased, getting up to get a soda out of the fridge.

Elliot made a face at her. ''Yeah, yeah.'' He said, getting up and getting a beer.

Olivia asked, ''So, what do you want to do after dinner? I'm all for a repeat of what we just did.'' She took a huge bite of rice, and winked at him.

Elliot smiled slyly at her. ''That could be arranged. I do feel like a long, hot, shower.'' He said, his blue eyes twinkling at her. Liv almost let herself get lost in their oceany depths.

They finished eating and put the leftovers in the fridge. Liv was big on leftovers. Olivia tossed out the empty containers and the other trash and wiped up. She was just finishing when El came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. ''You look so sexy doing that.'' He said, kissing her neck.

Olivia found herself actually almost purring at how wonderful that felt. She wanted him again. ''I think you just like me in your shirt.'' She barely managed to get out legibly.

Elliot kissed her neck some more and said, ''How about that shower?'' He asked. He had found a weak spot, and continued to concentrate on it, making Olivia's knees weak.

Olivia barely managed to get out, ''Sounds good to me, babe.'' She nearly went limp, and Elliot had to scoop her up in his arms. He grinned as he continued to stay right on that spot.

He carried her to the bathroom, as she continued to moan. They stripped off what little clothing they had on and stepped in the shower. The cold water revived Olivia a little, but as soon as it warmed up, Elliot hit that spot again. They then began kissing heatedly, letting the water pour over them. Olivia slipped her legs around El's waist and they backed up against the shower wall. The sex was the best yet. Olivia reached climax in about a minute or two. He'd already had her so worked up.

After, they washed up and got out. El was wrapping a towel around his waist while he took in Olivia's vanilla smell by taking a deep breath and drinking it in. That smell not only reminded him of home, with a happy reminder, he realized it _was _home now.

Olivia wrapped a towel around herself and headed into the bedroom. She got out a pair of shorts and some panties and went back to the bathroom to get El's shirt. Then she headed back into the bedroom and began to dress.

He went into the living room, to get the duffel bag, and Olivia's discarded sweats and tee. He took all of it into the bedroom. He put Liv's clothes on the chair by the dresser, and then unpacked the duffel. She pointed out two empty drawers, so he put everything in there. Then he pulled out a pair of his boxer briefs and pajamma bottoms.

Olivia turned to Elliot and relaxed against him. ''I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. Let's just go to bed. I just want to curl up next to you and sleep for a thousand years.''

Elliot said, ''Whatever you want, Liv. I'm actually kind of exhausted myself.'' They got into the bed, Olivia snuggled up next to Elliot and got ready for the second best sleep she'd ever had.

The next morning, Elliot got up and got dressed. Liv woke up when he was finished. ''So much for morning sex and breakfast in bed.'' She said, then asked, ''Where you off to, babe?''

Elliot said, ''I'm going to get the rest of my stuff from Kathy's. It's just a few boxes. I can put them in my car.''

''Married all those years, and it's only a few boxes?'' Olivia burrowed deeper under the blankets. She totally didn't want to get up. She was comfortable.

Elliot shrugged. ''I'm only bringing my clothes. What else do I need? I don't read, and I only own a few albums and DVDs. They fit in the boxes with the clothes.''

Olivia said, ''If you say so. I'll make sure that I make some space in the closet and dresser.'' They knew he'd have plenty of room for his albums and movies, Olivia didn't have many, either.

Elliot went to kiss her good-bye. ''I'm gonna take the key to the apartment and get a copy made. That's cool, right?'' He knew it was, he just wanted to make sure that she wasn't going anywhere while he was gone.

Olivia said, ''Of course. I'm not going anywhere. Go ahead.'' She kissed him again and he took off.

It took him some time to get to Queens. He called Kathy on the way to let her know he was coming. He hoped it was cool. He wanted to get it out of the way. He arrived, and headed up the walk and rang the bell. Kathy answered the door. She looked calm, so he figured she must have cooled off since yesterday. She had been quick and to the point on the phone. ''Hello, Elliot.'' She said carefully.

Elliot stepped in as she stepped back to let him in. ''Hi, Kathy.'' He said. He wasn't sure what to say next. Luckily, Kathy did.

She said, ''I've got all the boxes in the hall closet. Are you sure you won't take the toolbox?'' She asked.

They had talked about the toolbox on the phone. ''No, keep it. Liv's building's got a super. Liv says she has trouble getting him to fix things, even though she's a cop. I don't think we'll have that problem anymore.'' He said.

Kathy took a deep breath. ''OK. Now that you and Olivia have taken this step, sometime soon we're going to have to sit down with the kids. You, me, and Olivia. I know they're old enough, but we need to do it.'' She paused for a minute, and then said, ''El, I'm really not mad that you're moving on. I expected you to. Just not this soon. And I'm not mad at Olivia. I probably should be, but I'm not. I can't blame her for being in love with you.''

Elliot held her gaze for a minute, and then said, ''It's OK if you are. I can't stop or control you getting angry. Neither can Liv. I just want to be friendly for the kids. I'm gonna start loading up the car.''

It took about twenty minutes to get everything all loaded up. Then he went to the kitchen, to tell Kathy he was finished. ''OK, Kath. I'm all finished. I'm gonna head back home.'' He'd almost said 'to Liv's'. He had to remind himself that it was his place now, too.

Kathy nodded. ''OK. Remember, Dickie's got prom coming. He wants me to meet his date. I'll talk to him about Olivia. See if it's OK if she comes. Normally, I wouldn't, but it's Olivia.''

Elliot took that in, and said, ''Sure. Just let me know. Hopefully if I'm working, and Liv, too, we'll be able to get away. I'm outta here.'' He saw himself out and made the drive back to Manhattan.

He stopped and had a key made, and picked up some stuff to make chili for dinner. Olivia had nothing perishable at the apartment. Then, he headed back home.

Liv was sitting on the couch, watching _The View_. She was yelling at Elisabeth Hasselbech. ''Hey, babe, you're home.'' She said, looking at him.

Elliot grinned. ''Of course. You mind helping me bring everything up? It'll go faster with two people.''

Olivia said, ''Of course not.'' It took less time with both of them, and they piled the boxes up in the living room. There were ten. It was crazy, El's whole life in ten boxes. Then there was the grocery bag. ''What's in there?'' Liv asked.

Elliot grinned. ''I'm going to make chili for dinner. It's the only thing I know how to make.'' He said.

Olivia said, ''Mmmm, sounds good. Do you want to watch the rest of this with me? I like telling Elisabeth Hasselbech how stupid she is. Her theories and opinions are dangerous.''

Elliot looked at her. ''No, that's OK. You have fun. I'll go unpack. Did you clear out some space, you crazy person?'' He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

Olivia made a face at him and nodded. ''The bottom drawers in the dresser, in addition to any others you want, I don't have a lot in it, and one half of the closet. There's also room in the hall closet for your coats. And there's plenty of towels.''

Elliot said, ''Cool. Enjoy yelling at Elisabeth.'' That made her laugh. He was glad that he made her laugh. He was just finally glad to see her happy. If he had known that all it would take was them getting together, he might have said something sooner.

It didn't take him long to unpack all the boxes. Just hanging up and putting away all his clothes. He piled his few albums and DVDs in an empty box and took them out to the entertainment center.

Olivia pretended to be engrossed in the tv, but she watched him put his things away. They were building a life together, and two days ago, they had still just been partners. It was great and awesome at how quickly her life had changed.

Elliot finished and stood up. He grinned at her. ''You like watching me, don't you?'' He asked, his blue eyes twinkling. They were really the most beautiful eyes Olivia had ever seen. She loved getting lost in them. Always had.

Olivia smiled slyly. ''Of course. And don't think I don't know about you watching me at work. I do. Fin let it slip.'' Her smile widened and she added a laugh.

Elliot tickled her. ''When? I didn't know you had talked to him.'' He was blushing red as a tomato.

Olivia said, ''He told me when you went to talk to Cap. He said it was really sweet of you. He also said that you watch my desk when I'm not there.'' She had a mischievous grin on her face. She quite agreed with Fin. She thought it was sweet and protective. She didn't need protecting, but she liked the thought.

Elliot actually blushed even redder. It was cute. Olivia had never seen him blush before now. ''Yeah. I just missed you when you were gone. I like having you around all day.''

Olivia smiled. ''Well, now that you're back, and you have a key, I've got a couple of things to pick up. And I'm meeting Casey for lunch. Do you need anything while I'm out? I'll only be gone a couple of hours.''

Elliot shook his head. ''No. I'm just going to find a ball game or something on television. Have fun. See you when you get back.'' They kissed each other bye and Olivia grabbed her keys.

She then grabbed El's jean jacket from the hall closet. She wanted to take his smell with her. She'd noticed he'd kept up with the Polo, too. He'd used it again that morning.

She met Casey at Dean & Deluca. She got a sandwhich and some coffee and joined Casey at the table. ''Hey, Case.'' She said, unable to keep herself from grinning.

Casey smiled back at her. She looked like a well satisfied woman. ''Hey, Liv. Enjoying your time with Elliot?'' She asked.

Olivia grinned again. ''You know it.'' She paused, and then couldn't help herself. ''Guess what?'' She was bursting to tell someone the good news.

Casey took a bite of her own sandwhich. ''What? Did something good happen? Something had to have, I don't think I've ever seen you this happy ever.''

''Unbelievably good.'' Olivia replied. She took a sip of coffee and said, ''El just finished unpacking.''

Casey looked confused for a minute. ''Unpacking what?'' Then her lawyer mind began to work, and she said, ''He moved in? You guys are living together?''

Olivia nodded, looking and feeling so happy she could burst. ''Yeah. He suggested it last night. It seems a bit fast, but we've known each other nearly ten years. We don't have to take it slow. Our relationship doesn't even feel new.'' She explained the faded jean thing. ''I'm with my best friend. It's the best relationship I've ever had.''

Casey looked a little jealous. ''That must be great. I don't know if I've had a relationship like that ever in my life. I'm really glad that you're happy, Liv. I had to get new goldfish. My old ones died. Isn't that sad? I don't have time to find a man, let alone date one.''

Olivia finished up her sandwhich. ''You'll find someone, Casey. It's hard. Before Elliot made the move, I used to think I'd die alone. Now, I get the future. Maybe I'll even get to have a kid of mine.''

Casey asked, ''Have you spoken to El about wanting a kid? He's already got five. Maybe he's done having kids. Some guys get that way, you know.''

Olivia shook her head. ''No, but he knows I want them. I'd better remind him in case he forgot. I'd be OK with just one. Since I'd be a step-mother to his kids. But I still want at least one of my own. And I want to it to be El's.''

Casey asked, ''Would you quit? Be a stay at home mother?'' She finished her own her sandwhich.

Olivia shrugged. ''I don't know. Maybe. I don't know, though. I'm used to seeing El so much during the day. I love seeing him so much. It'd be a lot less if I quit.''

Casey nodded. ''True. Well, I hate to cut this short, Liv, but I've got to get to work. Lots of cases, you know.''

Olivia nodded. ''OK. I've got a few things to pick up. I've also got El waiting for me at home.'' They shared a smile and a brief hug and Liv headed off to a nearby convenience store.

She got some condoms, even though all the times so far had been without one, some shampoo for herself and Elliot, and some paper plates and towels. She had dishes, but she rarely used them. She was never home enough.

Then she went back home. Elliot was watching an old baseball game on one of the sports channels. Liv had lucked out. The cable company had been doing a bundle, so she'd taken it. Lots of channels, which included the sports ones. She was glad she had kept them. She had a man now who'd get some use out of them.

''How's Casey?'' He asked, as she came in, carrying the bag.

''Good. I told her you moved in. She thought it was great. She was really happy for us.'' She said, dropping the bag on the coffee table and hanging up El's jacket.

Elliot took a peek. ''Hey, thanks, I needed shampoo.'' He held up the condoms. ''Liv, these are completely unnecessary. I know you want kids. I'm completely fine with that.''

Olivia joined him on the couch, kissing him all over. ''You are the most wonderful man on the planet. I'm glad you kissed me two nights ago.'' She said.

Elliot laughed. ''I'm glad I'm making you so happy. Really, Liv, if I had known that telling you how I felt was all it took to make you happy, I'd have done it long ago. Kath and I have been over for awhile. Not that I don't love the baby, but I never should have gone over there that night. I knew I loved you then.''

Olivia laid her head against his strong chest. ''It's OK, babe. It happened when it was supposed to.''

Elliot wrapped his arm around her. ''When did you get so philosophical?''

Olivia shrugged. ''I don't know. All I know is, you're mine and I'm never letting you go.'' They snuggled together, and finished watching the game. Then El got up and began making the chili.

Olivia hardly knew what to with herself. Usually, she'd be working. She didn't usually have this much free time. She went to the bookshelf. It was full of books. She never had the time, but you'd think she did. She pulled a Stephen King off the shelf. She didn't even glance at the title. Just sat down, and began reading.

An hour later, Elliot scared the hell out of her when he came back in the living room, smelling like chili powder. ''You alright, babe?'' He asked. He hadn't expected her to get so startled.

Olivia nodded. ''Yeah. I totally didn't expect this book to be so scary. It's about a devil car named Christine.''

Elliot smiled at her. ''You're a baffling woman, Olivia Benson. Is it going to bother you if I turn the tv on?''

Olivia shook her head. ''No. I can block out noise. Comes with the territory of trying to concentrate on stuff at work.'' True to her word, she got engrossed again as Elliot was watching CNN.

There was a knock at the door, and since Olivia was completely oblivious, Elliot went to handle it. ''Who's there?'' He asked, making sure to put some authority in his voice.

It was Fin. ''Hey, El. Could you open the door? I've got to talk to you and Liv for a minute. I promise it's not going to mess up your vacation time.'' He sounded desperate.

Elliot said, ''Sure, I guess.'' He opened the door and stepped back to let Fin in. He figured it couldn't hurt anything to hear him out. He obviously needed to talk.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: OK, there is a twist at the end of this chapter. It ends the story, but sets up the sequel. Hopefully it is a bit out of left field. I hope I make you all yell out loud and call me a bitch for ending it where I do. That said, please enjoy the final chapter of my first ever SVU story. R&R, people!_

Chapter Four

Fin entered the apartment. ''Look, you guys. Lake's missing. He took off. I'm looking for him. Cragen doesn't know yet. He thinks Lake's out in the field with Munch. I'm trying to keep him from calling you in. Have you guys seen him?''

Elliot looked at Olivia. ''Did you see or hear from him while I was at Kathy's?'' She could have. It was a long drive to Queens and back.

Olivia shook her head. ''Nope. I talked to Casey and set up lunch. I didn't see Lake or talk to him on the phone. Why? What's going on, Fin? Is he still MIA?''

Fin said, ''Yeah, I don't know. Something's up. He won't answer any of my calls. He's researching a case that he hasn't told any of us about. And now, he's missing.''

Elliot said, ''And you think the two things are connected.'' He and Lake had been working together for about a year, and he had to admit, he didn't know much about the man. He usually had been paying too much attention to Liv to pay attention to Lake.

Fin nodded. ''Yeah. I just want you guys to let me know if you see him. We can handle this. I don't think he's in any danger, he's just jepordizing his job. Ya'll enjoy your vacation time. Don't worry about Lake. Ima find him.''

Olivia asked, ''How can you expect us not to worry? We've worked with Lake for a year now.'' Since she had been trying not to let herself pay too much attention to Elliot, she had actually gotten to know Lake a little.

Fin nodded. ''I know, but I want ya'll to enjoy as much of your time together as possible. You guys deserve it. Oh yeah, the trial date for Deila is set for a couple of weeks from now. Casey wants ya'll to testify. She said she'll call herself to set stuff up.''

Elliot said, ''OK. But seriously. How can you _not_ expect us to worry about what's going on with Lake? What kind of trouble is getting himself into?'' Elliot was a little angry that Lake hadn't confided in any of them. He'd have figured that he would have at least spoken to Fin.

Fin shrugged. ''I don't know. That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out. But you guys stay here. I want you to let me know if and when you hear from Lake.'' He paused a minute. ''I know you guys are worried, but I'm his partner. I've got to have his play. If I don't, who will?'' He paused again and then said, ''Liv, has he been here before?''

Olivia said, ''I don't think so. But he does know I live here. We'll let you know if he calls or stops by.'' Liv thought it was highly likely that he would. She came up behind Elliot and put her arm around his waist and leaned against him.

Fin said, ''You know, you guys look really happy. I'm really glad for you two.'' He was, too. He was glad that they were making the two of each other so happy. They both needed that so much.

Olivia smiled at him. ''Thanks. I'm so happy I could burst. I've loved him for so long now.'' She kissed him very lightly, since Fin was standing right there. Their kisses had a tendancy to get out of control pretty quickly.

Fin said, ''Well, I'm glad. I'ma going to keep looking for Lake. See ya'll later.''

They both told him bye and shut the door. Elliot slipped his arms around his partner and said, ''So, what do you think's up with Lake? You know him better than I do.''

Liv shrugged. ''I don't know. He did seem a little weird earlier. Maybe something's gone wrong with that case he said he's been working.'' She honestly wasn't surprised that Lake hadn't said a word to any of them. They had been working together for a long time, the four of them, and she suspected Lake had been feeling left out the loop a little.

Elliot buried his head in Olivia's neck. She smelled so amazing. He could hardly concentrate on anything else. ''Yeah, I guess.'' He said, and began sucking hard on her neck. He'd discovered last night that she _really_ liked that.

Olivia groaned. He _knew_ that made her crazy with desire. She slipped her arms around his waist as he continued to concentrate on her neck. ''Oh, Elllll.'' She moaned.

Elliot came up for air. He let his lips trail across her throat. Her knees were growing weak. She pulled him even closer and brought his lips up to hers, where she captured his mouth with her own. She kissed him until they both ran out of breath. ''Liv, I don't know if I can do this.''

Olivia nodded her head up and down enthusiastically. ''Um, yes, you can. Quite well. You've given me the best sex of my life.'' She went to kiss him again, having gotten her breath back.

Elliot chuckled and said, ''No, no. That's not what I mean, you nympho. I don't think I can work with you every day and not keep my hands off you.''

Olivia stepped back from him, even though she didn't really want to. ''No. You can't transfer. I don't want to be partners with anyone else but you. I'll get stuck with Lake or Munch. Lake's very nice, and I care for John very much, but they're not you.''

Elliot took her hands in his. ''Olivia. I'm not saying that I _want_ to transfer, but I don't think that I can work with you every day and not want to touch you and hold you. I don't think that I'd be able to concentrate. I had to before, I wasn't with you. I am now. It's a little different.''

Olivia understood that. She'd had a hard time concentrating, too. But that wasn't the point. ''I know that it's going to be hard, but I love you. Except when you're pissing me off, I _love_ being around you all day.''

Elliot lightly kissed her. He actually wanted to finish this conversation. If he kissed her harder, he wouldn't be able to. ''I know, Liv, but what if Cap gets in trouble? Or IAB gets wind of it? They might have a problem with it. I just want to keep us out of trouble.''

Olivia looked thoughtful. It was her best expression, and Elliot just wanted to throw her down on the floor, and really show her what the best sex of her life was. ''You're right. Before you do anything, let's talk to Cap, OK? We know he knows, but maybe he'll have some advice. Maybe you won't have to transfer.''

Elliot felt a lot better. He took her in his arms again and kissed her like she'd never been kissed before. She felt it all the way down to her toes. It was a toe curling kiss. Elliot did, too, she felt it against her leg. He pulled off her shirt, tossing it lightly to the floor. He then began to carefully unhook her bra.

After he'd gotten it off, Olivia pulled off his shirt and ran her hands down his chest, as always, marvelling at how good he looked. Her hand stopped at the waistline of his jeans, where she undid them, letting them drop to the floor. He stepped out of them and kicked them aside. They slid across the floor.

Olivia took off her own jeans and her own panties, and then got down to pull El's boxer briefs off with her teeth. Elliot smiled at her and stepped out of those, too. She grinned and stood up, pulling him to her, kissing him with renewed fervor.

Elliot led her to the couch. Without any discussion, he sat down and pulled Olivia onto his lap. She ran her hands up and down his arms as the kissing continued. Then she grasped his back. He lay back and she straddled him. He entered her easily, and they went for the next thirty minutes, getting very sweaty. Olivia finally came, hollering out Elliot's name. She slumped against him, exhausted, as the buzzer went off again. Someone else had arrived.

Olivia groaned and grabbed a blanket from the hall closet to cover herself. Elliot pulled his jeans back on. Liv went to the door, making sure she was completely covered. ''Who's there?'' She called.

It was Munch, oddly enough. ''Liv, I need to talk to Elliot a minute. Fin said he was here.''

Olivia said, ''OK. I'm buzzing you up.'' She turned to her boyfriend. ''El, I'm going to shower. John's on his way up. Be nice.'' She told him, heading for the bedroom first, to get some pjs to take with her.

Elliot quickly pulled his shirt on and made sure he looked presentable. Then he went to the door. Munch was indeed there. ''Hey, Munch.'' Elliot said, letting him in. He was a little wary. He wasn't sure what to expect.

Munch stood silently as Elliot closed the door. He wasn't sure what to say. He had come to apologize. He would of course, apologize to Olivia, too, but it seemed more pressing at the moment to apologize to Elliot. He knew Olivia would forgive him, they had always been cool with each other. Elliot, while they had always gotten along, Munch was never sure if the fights they had were the last. ''I'm here to say I'm sorry for all the stuff I said.''

Elliot shrugged. ''I'm not going to say I wasn't pissed off, 'cause I was. But you were worried about Jordie, so it's understandable. If it was one of my kids or Olivia, I'd be the same way.'' He noticed that he hadn't said Kathy. He of course would be upset if that happened to Kathy, but not in the same way that he would have been before. It was an odd feeling.

Munch said, ''Thanks, El. I can't promise that it won't happen again, but I'm gonna work on it.''

Elliot said, ''Well, we'll try to keep it under control at work, OK? I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.'' Now that he was in the safety of his own home, and had had time to calm down, it didn't seem an unreasonable promise.

He said bye to John and he left. Elliot closed the door and sat down on the couch. His underwear was lying by the side of the couch. He hoped that John hadn't seen it. That would have been very embarassing.

Olivia came out into the living room, dressed in a pink lace nightie she'd found in the back of her closet. She hadn't worn it in years. ''Did you check on the chili?'' She asked.

Elliot groaned. ''I forgot. It _should_ be OK. I had it on low.'' He headed into the kitchen.

Olivia settled on the couch and picked up her book again. She loved her job, but she could totally get used to this. Being with Elliot all day. She really didn't want him to transfer. She'd miss working with him. It was her favorite thing. It was bad enough when she had been undercover the time before she was almost raped. They had spent months apart, because they had had a very nasty fight. Olivia had taken off in a hasty decision. She had ended up missing him like crazy. She'd heard that El had missed her, too.

Elliot's cell phone rang as he was checking on the chili. He picked it up. ''Stabler.'' He said, stirring the chili. He was lost in thought, thinking of Olivia.

It was his oldest daughter, Kathleen. ''Hi, Dad. I just wanted to see how your new digs are working out.'' Kathleen was almost finished with college.

Elliot noticed the edge to her voice. The kids had sort of warmed to Olivia. Kathy never had. Elliot suspected that she had known about his feelings for Olivia all along and had just never said anything. In the wake of everything that had happened lately, he didn't really blame Kathleen for being upset. Still, he was still her father. ''Kathleen, I know you're upset, but I don't need you speaking that way to me.'' He admonished.

Kathleen's voice did not change. ''Dad, you don't know how long I've suspected this. I'm a little upset. Can you blame me?'' He could just picture her pissed off face. He had seen it a lot more through the years than he should have.

Elliot tried to keep his temper in check. ''I didn't say that you couldn't be upset. But I'm still your father, and I'm a grown man. My life is my business. Now, I'm not going to ask you to like Olivia, but you will respect her. She's my girlfriend now.''

Kathleen said, ''Don't forget about Dickie's prom. It's a big deal for him. Sophomores aren't usually allowed to go. And he doesn't want Olivia to be there.''

Elliot got out the cheese and Fritos. ''What about Elizabeth? Is she going?'' Elizabeth was Dickie's (short for Richard) twin sister.

Kathleen's reply was a little cold. ''Well, Dad, if you had been around lately, you'd know that Elizabeth is morally opposed to prom. She says it's not something she wants to participate in.''

Elliot said, ''Well, no one's making her. I just asked. I told you, quit jumping down my throat.'' His children weren't scared of his temper anymore. That was amazing to him.

Kathleen said, ''Eli's just a baby, but the rest of us don't want to see Olivia. So don't expect us to.'' She hung up.

Elliot was more than a little baffled. It was odd that Kathleen had called like that. But he understood why his four elder children were refusing to see Olivia. They were feeling for Kathy. She was the parent they felt the most attached to. He wasn't with them as much as she was. Especially now that he and Olivia were together.

''Liv, chili's ready.'' He stuck his head into the living room.

Olivia nearly jumped a mile again. ''OK. Thanks.'' She said, following him into the kitchen. She could get used to this. Coming home to El and to chili that smelled mind-blowingly delicious.

He told her about Kathleen's odd call. ''She's just choosing to side with Kathy. They're closer to her. She's around more. Because of this job I love, and wanting to be around you as much as I can, they know her better. I have to say, that I don't know my kids that well. It isn't something that I'm proud of.''

Olivia could tell that he didn't want to talk about that at that minute, so she chose to address the other thing, Kathleen's call. ''I'm not going to try to make any of your kids like me. If they want to, that's cool. It's up to them. Something like this can't be rushed, and they have to want it.''

Elliot smiled in relief at her, and said, taking a bite of chili, ''I think that's a healthy attitude. They'll eventually warm up once they realize that this is a permanent thing. It'll just take time, like you said.''

They enjoyed the chili. Elliot really knew how to make chili. They cleaned up together and headed into the living room. They watched _PS I Love You_ together, and Olivia kissed him and fell even more in love with him when Elliot cried at the movie. Then they fell asleep in each others' arms.

A couple of days later, Olivia noticed that she had missed a period. It was only a day late. She wouldn't have thought that you could tell this quickly. She was usually like clockwork. Always had been. If she was, Elliot must be really good at knocking people up. She decided to wait another couple of days before she did anything about it. She wanted to be sure. She figured she'd wait to tell El, too. She didn't think it would be a good idea to get his hopes up if she wasn't.

Speaking of El, it was odd, but the past couple of nights, he hadn't been sleeping that well. Olivia wondered what could be going on. They still hadn't heard from Lake. Olivia was getting worried. That was strange. She'd called Fin, and he'd said that he had still been looking for him. Olivia was surprised.

There was a smell of bacon in the air. El was making breakfast. She smelled eggs, too. He had gone to the store the day before and had gotten some actual groceries. He told her that since it was the two of them now, she had to help him make sure they kept the place stocked. They were a couple now.

Olivia sank into one of the kitchen chairs in a happy stupor. Even though she was worried about Lake, she was still over the moon. She had Elliot. She watched Elliot cook. Despite possible spatters, he was cooking in just pajamma bottoms. Olivia knew he did it just for her. It made her love him more.

Elliot flipped the bacon and checked on the eggs. He had had trouble falling asleep. He'd been thinking about what he was going to do. He was worried about what IAB was going to say. He knew that Olivia wasn't as worried about it as he was. She was satisfied with talking to Cap about it. El was not so complacent.

Olivia watched him carefully. He looked very thoughtful. She wondered what he was thinking. They had gotten better at sharing, but Olivia wasn't going to make him tell her. It was probably the job thing. Elliot worried about things. He always had.

Elliot pulled some actual plates out and got some silverware. He set the table, giving Liv a brief smile. He wanted to talk to Liv. He didn't want them to turn out like he and Kathy had. But he knew that she'd just tell him not to worry so much. And he couldn't help it. He didn't want to get in trouble for just loving Olivia. It was something he couldn't help. It was like breathing.

Olivia got up and got some glasses for juice. ''You OK, El? You've been quiet the past couple of days. Anything you want to talk about, baby?'' She asked.

Elliot knew his answer wasn't going to reassure her. ''No, hon, I'm fine. I promise. Just thinking. You know I'd tell you if it was something serious.''

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. She loved him, but she wanted to smack him sometimes. He was very frustrating. Very stubborn. She dropped it, though, and poured some juice. She put the juice back and sat down at the table. She moved a lock of her hair from her eyes.

Elliot put the bowl of eggs and plates of bacon and toast on the table. Then he sat down. He asked, ''What did Fin say about Lake?'' He had to change the subject.

Olivia wondered briefly if that's what he was thinking about. ''Said he's still missing. Cap's been in court on the Beletti case. Hasn't noticed. But Munch says they've gone through Lake's entire desk. He's left nothing behind. If he's working a case, they can't prove it.''

Elliot looked at Olivia. He was beginning to get a theory about Munch. Liv mentioning his name had brought it back to the forefront of his mind. John had always been a little protective of Liv. More so than himself, and Elliot was pretty damn protective. Maybe John thought of Liv as a daughter or sister, and that's why he'd flipped out on them. He didn't bring it up to her. It was just something to mull over. Aloud, he tried to concentrate on the topic at hand. ''Well, I'm sure he's fine. We'd have heard something by now if he wasn't.''

Olivia said, ''I hope you're right.'' She ate some breakfast.

Elliot's cell phone rang, startling them. He excused himself and went into the living room to answer it. It was Cragen. ''Hi, Cap.'' He said, wondering what was going on.

Cragen asked, ''Do you have a minute, Stabler? I want to talk to you.''

Elliot replied, ''Sure, Cap. What's this about? Olivia and I aren't due back yet.''

Cragen replied, ''I know. So, Casey tells me you two are living together.''

Elliot sighed. ''Yes, we are. Is that going to be a problem? I didn't know I had to run my personal life by you.'' As worried as he was about IAB, he wasn't going to apologize for taking a step with _his_ girlfriend.

Cragen said, ''Well, aren't you worried about IAB? And besides, that's not what I was trying to say.''

Elliot said, ''Yes, I am. We're going to talk to you about it together. Liv's not worried anymore. She thinks that you'll have a solution. What did you want to say, if it's not about IAB?''

Cragen said, ''You two are my best detectives. I only want you to be happy. But if you hurt Olivia, I will have to hurt you. She has wanted you for long time now, and you have a tendancy to let her down. The last time you did, was the last time. The next time you do, they will need a new forensic science to determine how I chose to kill you and hide the body.''

Elliot knew Cap was being completely serious, but it was hard not to laugh. ''I'm not going to going to hurt her, Cap. I love her more than anyone I've ever loved in my entire life. Except for my kids. I won't hurt Olivia.''

Cragen said, ''Now. About the relationship. I can try to keep this from IAB, but you guys are going to have to be careful. Or you'll have to partner with Munch or Fin.''

Elliot said, ''Why does it matter? Liv and I can do this. We've been working for years, in love with each other. The only difference is that we're together now.''

Cragen said, ''We'll just take it one day at a time. We'll deal with it when we have to. I've got work to do. If you guys see Lake, tell him I'm looking for him.''

Elliot said bye and hung up. He headed out into the kitchen. ''Cragen warned me not to hurt you. Said he'd hurt me. He also said that if we saw Lake, to let him that he's looking for him. Lake's busted.''

Olivia watched as Elliot sat down again. ''Well, maybe we ought to call Fin. Get an update. See if he's found Lake yet.'' The SVU team was the closest thing that Olivia had to a family. Now that one of them was missing, she couldn't let it go.

Elliot said, ''I'm not so sure I want to get involved. This thing feels like it's going to blow up in everyone's faces. I'd rather it not be mine. Or yours, for that matter.''

Olivia placed her dishes in the sink. ''I'm going to call Fin. I care about what happens to my friends.'' She picked up the house phone and headed into the living room.

Elliot groaned. He had pissed her off. Great. They'd had some epic battles before. He'd have to do some damage control before it turned into one of those.

Olivia ignored him when he came into the living room. She had just dialed Fin's number. It went straight to voicemail. ''Hey, Fin, it's Liv. Cragen called El. Said he's looking for Chester. If you find him, let him know. Talk to you later.'' She hit the off button.

Elliot turned to her. ''Liv, you know I care about what happens to our friends. But I don't want to get involved if I don't have to. This feels like something big.''

Olivia looked at him. ''Did you ever think that's why they need our help? Sometimes you just have to help, no matter what might happen to you. You've got to do the right thing. Don't you want them to back you up if something happens to you?''

Elliot said, ''Well, I would, but I wouldn't ask them for help unless I had to. You know me. I hate to get help unless I really need it.''

Olivia sighed. She knew it was pointless to be angry at him. He did have a point. This very well _could_ be something that would blow up in everyone's face. I guess you're right. I just, I want to help. You know how I get.''

Elliot gave her a kiss on the cheek. ''I'm sorry. I know. But that doesn't mean I don't care. And I love that about you. I always have.''

Olivia kissed him. ''OK. You're forgiven. I'm going to go clean up the breakfast dishes. Then what is the plan for today?''

Elliot shrugged. ''I don't know. Why do we need a plan? Why can't we just lie together on the couch and just be together? That's all I want. To just be with you.''

Olivia said, ''That's fine.'' She was about to go back into the kitchen when their door began to shake.

They both went into the living room. Their guns were in the bedroom. Before they could ask who was there, Harris and a man they had never seen before came flying in, the door falling to the floor.

Olivia told El, ''It's Harris, El. It's him!'' She screamed as El lunged at Harris. Before he could get to him, the mystery man knocked him to the floor with a baseball bat. Olivia screamed his name as he fell.

Olivia punched Harris as hard as she could, and as he fell, his arm shot out and sliced her side with the huge carving knife he held. As she fell to the floor, the phone rang and rang. After five rings, it went to the answering machine.

Lake's voice spoke to an outcold Elliot and a slowly dying Olivia. She barely acknowledged he was speaking. ''Liv, Harris is coming! I'll explain later. The guy that's with him is dangerous, too! I'm coming! Get out!''

The mystery man considered taking the tape, but he didn't. He just helped Harris up and they ran out of the apartment, to lay low. Cops would soon be swarming around.

Olivia tried to call out. She knew she was dying, but she couldn't get up the energy, and her eyes slowly closed...

The End? TBC.

_Author's note: Any guesses on who the mystery man is? Let me know if you guys want me to continue this. I've got the next part worked out in my mind, but I need to know if there is a point to continuing it. Read and review! I hate non-reviewers!!_


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